Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Online Stuff for There Will Come Soft Rains


1) paranoia
2) manipulate
3) tremulous
4) oblivious
5) sublime
6) silhouette


            Technology and mankind worked together initially, but one day a crucial system shuts down. Robots don’t work and a high-tech house would become an ordinary house. People who were raised on this system would have no idea what to do. With so much dependence on automated creations, the human race might not be able to survive. Unless they band together, mankind may be wiped out – forever.

1) Manufacture
2) Manuscript.
3) Manipulate
4) Manual

Friday, August 24, 2012

Support An Opinion


        I think that technology is both hurtful and helpful. In There Will Come Soft Rains, the house cannot tell if the people are there or not. Although it is equipped with great technology, it’s still not smart enough to sense whether or not something has happened to the family. Inside the Home of the Future highlights the good aspects of a technology-driven home. It adapts to each person and their routines. It seems as though it would be a great place for elderly people to live because it can assist them with their daily lives. In Disneyland they have this display on the home of the future. While it’s not voice activated, it has little control screens in each of the rooms. The kitchen has a TV for recipes and the cabinets fold down from the ceiling. I’d prefer to live in this house because while it is fairly hands free, you still have to get up and change the settings. If everything is hands-free, people will become lazy. If you aren't disabled, you should still find it in yourself to get off the couch and do something.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

English Vocabulary List One Sentences


English Vocabulary List One

-Justin declared he was ending his career, causing much consternation amongst Beliebers.

-Dan put on his Robert Pattinson mask, causing Phil to cower in the corner.

-I added baking soda as a neutralizer because it cancels the effects of the acids.

-I watched in amazement as the synchronized swimmers preformed their routine flawlessly.

-Thanks to their neighbors vigilance the fire was spotted and quickly put out.

-Liam winced as the crowd started screaming.

Perrie manipulated Tom into doing her homework by batting her eyelashes. (A/N cliché, I know… :P)

Sarah was oblivious to the stealthy person following her.

Due to a robbery in her childhood, Jess’ level of paranoia was higher than normal.

The ghostly silhouette of the robber showed up against a wall in the dim light.

Louis’ cupcakes were sublime-the best Harry had ever tasted.

The tremulous Chihuahua cowered under the couch.

English Picture Notes (You're Welcome.)

My iPhone takes rather nice photos...






















Monday, August 20, 2012

English Vocabulary List One


English Vocabulary List One
Consternation- a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay (Noun)

Cower- to crouch (verb)

Neutralize- to make something ineffective (Verb)

Synchronize- to cause to go on, move, operate, work, etc., at the same rate and exactly together (Verb)

Vigilance- the state or quality of being watchful (Noun)

Wince- to draw back or tense the body (Verb)

Manipulate- to manage or influence skillfully (Verb)

Oblivious- unmindful, unawake (Adjective)

Paranoia- baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others (Noun)

Silhouette- the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background, especially in dim light (Noun)

Sublime- supreme or outstanding (Adjective)

Tremulous- timid, fearful, shaking (Adjective)

Sunday, August 19, 2012

HARRISON BERGERON SEQUEL!!!


         HARRISON BERGERON SEQUEL!!! (Sequel is a weird word.)

         Harrison Bergeron awoke with a jolt, bright blue eyes peering into his own.
         “Oh thank goodness you’re alive! I was beginning to get quite worried!” Mindy-The-Ballerina’s high-pitched voice interrupted his thoughts. “Now I fixed up your shoulder with my spare tutu, but we need to get moving quite quickly. We must lead a revolt!”
         Soon after they left the TV Warehouse, Harrison had gathered a large group of people to be in the revolt. They all removed their handicaps and headed towards the center of Washington D.C. More and more citizens joined them in their march. Soon the walk turned violent and they started lighting everything-cars, trees, buildings-on fire. Police and FBI agents rushed to stop their protests, but they continued to push towards the center. Soon after robots were sent to destroy the group. There were too many people for the automatons to overtake, and so the machines retreated.
         Reaching the White House, Harrison motioned for the crowd to quiet down. The hush was vociferous. (A/N I was going to say “The silence was deafening” but I didn’t want to use a cliché. So there, Fielding.) “General Glampers! Come out and face me.” After a few minutes of awkward silence, one noise broke the silence: a faint click against Harrison’s back. He twisted around and grabbed the gun, bending the metal like it was a hot CRUNCH bar.
         Then all Hades broke loose.        
         General Glampers leapt atop his head, clinging to it as if she was a newborn koala and he was her mother. She clawed at his face whilst he tried to shake her off. More robots poured into the crowd, overpowering the people on the outskirts of the group. Soon the statues came alive and Abraham Lincoln began thudding towards Harrison.
         By the time Harrison managed to get General Glampers off his head, it was too late. The statue army formed a circle around him, stepping closer and closer. The stone form of Abraham Lincoln plucked him off the ground. Lincoln dangled him from his ankles, swinging him back and forth. Eerily calm, the statue said, “The government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth, and that is why you must perish from the Earth.” He started swinging him faster and faster, until Lincoln let go and sent Harrison flying.
         Eventually the government was able to calm down the group. One-by-one handicaps were replaced on the people until the entire group was back to normal. That is, until Harrison Bergeron came back.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!!!!!!


(A/N Fielding, Al and I decided to do the same general plot but did a different POV. You never specified that we could not have the same ideas. So technically it should still fall under the category of an individual assignment.)

Friday, August 17, 2012

Page 46 Stuff (Harrison Bergeron)


1) D
2) A
3) B
4) A
5) D
6) A

Academic Vocabulary In Speaking:
Vonnegut is trying to establish that Television is not the proper way to communicate. He wrote this to affect the opinions of the readers into thinking that different people make the world normal.

1) Syndrome
2) Synonym
3) Syndicate
4) Synchronize
5) Synthesize

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Harrison Bergeron Magazine Interview with George


Homework:  Students are magazine writers who have an opportunity to interview any story character from "Harrison Bergeron".  Students need to create a list of 8 to 10 questions they would like to ask their characters.  They then need to answer the questions and post this on the blog.

Interview: George Bergeron

1)
Interviewer: How did you react to your son’s jailing?
George: I keep forgetting that that boy got jailed. I guess every father would be a little bit disappointed if his son got arrested. *winces*

2)
I: Do you think this equality act is fair?
G: I don’t have much time to think about it. It was started when I was a baby, so I guess I’m used to it. My father told me of a wonderful time before the act, when free thinking was first being suppressed. Ow!

3)
I: So what do you do for fun?
G: Fun? I’m not sure we really do anything fun. I live with my wife and my son is in prison. We watch TV. *winces again*

4)
I: TV, huh? Have you seen anything good recently?
G: Well, sometime I saw a program on ballerinas. They would have been better without the handicaps. But then something happened and my wife told me it was really sad. Ouch! I just don’t remember.

5)
I: Well, I think she saw your son’s murder.
G: Murder? No, it couldn’t be. He’s only in jail. He wouldn’t do anything that risky. He’s innocent. Unless he broke out. 

6)
I: So you don’t think he was plotting against the government?
G: Oh heavens no. He’s merely a child and he wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt anyone.

7)
I:  If you had to choose, which handicap would you get rid of: your hearing one or the weights?
G: I’d take off the hearing one. It’s just too loud. The weights I can handle but the hearing one is horrible. Ouch!

8)
I: Have you ever taken off your handicaps, even if it was just for a few minutes?
G: I could never take off my handicaps. The punishment for it is too much.

9)
I: So you would never rebel against the government?
G: I’ve thought about it before, like when the bags seemed extra heavy and the noises got even louder. But these thoughts are always stopped because of the noises. Ow! That was a doozy. Who are you?

GAAH! Don't hate me Fielding!

Harrison B Question with Al


6) Some schools try to minimize competition, believing that it demoralizes those who do not excel.  Other schools encourage competition through academic and athletic competitions.  Both sides have good reasons for their beliefs.  With a partner discuss you ideas about this topic and make a list of arguments that support each side.

Minimize Competitions:
-Everyone feels equal
-There are no hurt feelings
-No Pressure


Athletic and Academic Competitions:
-It gives you a reason to drive yourself harder
-Builds Teamwork skills
-Social Skills
-Academic à Brain Work Out
-Athletic à Keeps you healthy

Questions for Harrison Bergeron

1) What's your initial response to the story?  Do you believe that everyone should be made equal? 
It turned out much differently than I expected. I initially thought that it would be one of happily-ever-after ones, but he ended up getting killed. It was an interesting concept for a story, but it's not really my cup of tea.
No, I believe that in a world without different people living would be useless. People are all born with different opinions and they should be able to express them. By being made equal, these opinions are forgotten.

Look up the definition of Satire.  Post it on your blogs.  How does Harrison Bergeron fit the description of Satire. 
Satire - the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing,denouncing, or deriding vicefolly (N)
The story pokes fun at the government and the equality acts going on at the time the story was made.

2) Television plays a key role in the story.  What kind of comment do you think Vonnegut is making about mass media? 
I believe that Vonnegut thinks mass media is just mindless entertainment that doesn't improve knowledge or any other benefit.

3) Harrison was originally jailed "on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government" (lines 105-106).  Was the government correct in its assumption? 
Yes, the government was extremely correct. Unless his jailing made him want to overthrow the government and he was just innocent in the first place.

4) Why did the Handicapper General shoot both Harrison and the ballerina, instead of just shooting Harrison? 
The ballerina had joined Harrison's cause, therefor disobeying the government. She must be shot to set an example so other people don't rebel.

5) What if everyone were THE SAME?  How would this look or feel?
If everyone were the same, I would think life would be extremely boring. Like above stated, people were born with different opinions and should express them. But the problem with everyone being the same is no one would know better. Eventually the people living in the generations who lived differently (as in times like now) would die off and the boring lifestyle would become the new normal.